Best of 2000: Best Hotel For An In-Town Vacation

Although it stands across from the splashier La Valencia Hotel, and a crowd of shoppers, diners, and gallery-goers congregates out front at the granite "rolling ball" fountain to listen to live musicians on weekend evenings, the interior of the Hotel Parisi is discreet and tranquil. Taupe decor, Japanese rice-paper art, and a waterfall grace the lobby. Six suites offer ocean views. In-room VCR and CD players as well as track-lit desks with data ports for your laptop make this a good spot for a working vacation, although super-smooth Egyptian-cotton bed sheets may persuade you to skip that 7:00 a.m. breakfast meeting.